HOW many more Noors, Zainabs, Qandeels and Sanas have to lose their lives to the entitled will of men before the issue is addressed? Are we not sick of these women turning into hashtags that are momentary social media outcries in an amnesiac nation?

What are we protesting anymore? Today, Noor should have been a force in her office, driving home safely to her family later in the day. Little Zainab, who should have been enjoying her summer vacation, would be starting secondary school, where she would be knee-deep in social studies and algebra books. Qandeel would have made a podcast, taking us through her adventurous life, and walking red carpets. Sana should be here, uploading another TikTok video — young, funny, and free.

In the broader context of life, we often forget that these women and girls had lives, souls, and futures. They had stories they were meant to live out but could not — because the men around them, rabid and foaming at the mouth, decided they would not.

The act: Sana Yousaf’s life was allegedly taken by the 22-year-old suspect Umar Hayat, who watched her videos celebrating Chitrali traditions, female autonomy and community upliftment. He could not comprehend how this........

© Dawn